Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl. The salt will bring out the water in the eggplant. Let the water drip into the bowl for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towel. Discard water.
In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons oil and cook over medium heat until hot. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Cook and stir mixture until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and broth; stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until flavors blend and sauce has thickened. Stir in Chocolate Extract.
In a shallow bowl, add flour and set aside. In a second shallow bowl, add eggs and lightly beat; set aside. In a third shallow bowl, stir together panko and 1/2 cup Cojita cheese; set aside. Coat eggplant slices with flour and then transfer to beaten eggs. Shake off excess egg and place on breadcrumbs. Gently press breadcrumbs onto eggplant slices.
In a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, until golden brown (turning over once), about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread 1 cup tomato sauce to the bottom. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 1 1/4 cups) and one third of Mexican cheese blend. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese blend. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup Cojita cheese.
Bake eggplant, uncovered, until cheese has melted and is golden in color, and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl. The salt will bring out the water in the eggplant. Let the water drip into the bowl for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towel. Discard water.
In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons oil and cook over medium heat until hot. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Cook and stir mixture until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and broth; stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until flavors blend and sauce has thickened. Stir in Chocolate Extract.\
In a shallow bowl, add flour and set aside. In a second shallow bowl, add eggs and lightly beat; set aside. In a third shallow bowl, stir together panko and 43 grams Cojita cheese; set aside. Coat eggplant slices with flour and then transfer to beaten eggs. Shake off excess egg and place on breadcrumbs. Gently press breadcrumbs onto eggplant slices.
In a deep 30-centimeter nonstick skillet, heat remaining 350 ml oil over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, until golden brown (turning over once), about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
In a 23×33 cm baking dish, spread 240 ml tomato sauce to the bottom. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 300 ml) and one third of Mexican cheese blend. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese blend. Sprinkle top with remaining 43 grams Cojita cheese.
Bake eggplant, uncovered, until cheese has melted and is golden in color, and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes.